10-Year-Old Rabbit Beats Cancer at WSU, Home for Easter

Henry the lionhead rabbit now wears a crimson bandanna that reads "I am a cancer survivor" after beating a tumor that nearly took his life.

The 10-year-old bunny is back home with Robin and her husband in Bremerton, Washington, just in time for Easter. Weeks earlier, a potentially deadly tumor called a thymoma was discovered growing in his tiny chest, pressing against his lungs and making it harder to breathe.

Robin first noticed subtle changes in Henry's behavior. A local vet took X-rays and found the mass, but they needed specialized help that only WSU could provide.

"There was no question, we were going to drive six hours to Pullman," Robin said.

Dr. Marcie Logsdon at WSU's Veterinary Teaching Hospital explained that while thymomas don't usually spread, their location makes them dangerous. The good news? They often respond well to radiation therapy.

Henry received four radiation treatments using the hospital's linear accelerator over two weeks in March. He stayed at the hospital for monitoring before finally heading home.

"When we went to pick him up, we opened his carrier, and he jumped onto me and started giving me kisses," Robin said. "I just started crying because I missed him so much."

Sunny's Take

Henry isn't just any rabbit to the Jones family. They've loved him since he was a kit, watching him learn to trust them and show his sassy, sweet personality.

"He loves to run around and do happy hops, and he just loves treats, especially bananas," Robin said. "He'll run to us and start honking or oinking. That's how he greets us."

The tumor is already shrinking, and many rabbits with similar treatment stay in remission for eight months to a year and a half. Some can even receive additional treatments if needed.

"Henry's doing so good. He's running around, honking, jumping and playing," Robin said. "We are just so grateful to Dr. Logsdon and WSU."

Dr. Logsdon hopes Henry's story reminds people that rabbits require serious long-term commitment. They can live 10 years or more and need consistent veterinary care, a diet rich in grass hay, and patient handling since they don't like being picked up.

"They can be really cool, really engaging little pets, but many people underestimate the long-term commitment involved," Logsdon said.

Robin and her husband, originally from New Mexico, had no connection to WSU before Henry's treatment. Now they're believers for life.

Henry is home where he belongs, doing happy hops and getting all the banana treats he deserves.